Study Desk

Samuel summoned the people to the Lord at Mizpah^(t)

and said to the Israelites, "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says:^(u) ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.'

But today you have rejected your God,^(v) who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to Him, ‘You^[h] must set a king over us.'^(w) Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans."^(x)

Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.

Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected.^[i] Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected.^(y) But when they searched for him, they could not find him.

They again inquired of the Lord ,^(z) "Has the man come here yet?" The Lord replied, "There he is, hidden among the supplies."

They ran and got him from there. When he stood among the people, he stood a head taller than anyone else.^[j](aa)

Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the one the Lord has chosen?^(ab) There is no one like him among the entire population." And all the people shouted,^[k] "Long live the king!"^(ac)

Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship.^(ad) He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the Lord .^(ae) Then Samuel sent all the people away, each to his home.

Saul also went to his home in Gibeah,^(af) and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

But some wicked men said, "How can this guy save us?" They despised him and did not bring him a gift,^(ag) but Saul said nothing.^[l][m]

Nahash^[a](a) the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead.^(b) All the men of Jabesh said to him, "Make a treaty^(c) with us, and we will serve you."

Nahash the Ammonite replied, "I'll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone's right eye^(d) and humiliate all Israel."^(e)

"Don't do anything to us for seven days," the elders of Jabesh said to him, "and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you."

When the messengers came to Gibeah,^(f) Saul's hometown, and told the terms to^[b] the people, all wept aloud.^(g)

Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. "What's the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?" Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly took control of him,^(h) and his anger burned furiously.

He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces,⁽ⁱ⁾ and sent them throughout the land of Israel by messengers who said, "This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn't march behind Saul and Samuel."^(j) As a result, the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out united.^(k)

Saul counted them at Bezek.^(l) There were 300,000^[c](m) Israelites and 30,000^[d] men from Judah.

He told the messengers who had come, "Tell this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.'" So the messengers told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.

Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want^[e] to us."

The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions.⁽ⁿ⁾ During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

Afterward, the people said to Samuel, "Who said that Saul should not^[f] reign over us?^(o) Give us those men so we can kill them!"^(p)

But Saul ordered, "No one will be executed this day, for today the Lord has provided deliverance in Israel."^(q)

Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let's go to Gilgal, so we can renew the kingship there."

So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the Lord 's presence^(r) they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings^(s) in the Lord 's presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel greatly rejoiced.